Home Visiting and Six Week Postpartum Visit

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Ann Smith (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Community Medicaid/self-pay obstetric clinics report that only 52% of their patients return for their 6-week postpartum visit. This process improvement project evaluated the improvement strategies of providing patient education , ensuring transportation , and providing an appointment reminder by a postnatal nurse home visiting program on return rates for the 6-week postpartum visit. After creation of an evidence-based educational pamphlet , the postnatal home visiting nurses and schedulers were educated on providing the educational pamphlet , setting up transportation if needed , and calling patients two days before their 6-week visit. First quarter 2017 pre-implementation data and first quarter 2018 post-implementation data about demographics and return rates were collected and outcomes compared. The population demographics of age , race , ethnicity , marital status , parity , payor group , and OB provider group for mothers visited were similar in both groups. In the pre-implementation group (n=172) , 91 (52.9%) mothers returned for their 6-week postpartum visit. In the post-implementation group (n=131) , 98 (74.8%) mothers returned for their 6-week postpartum visit , an increase of 21.9% (p < .001). Simple strategies such as providing education about the importance of the 6-week postpartum visit , ensuring transportation , and providing reminder phone calls by a nurse home visiting program increased adherence to the 6-week postpartum visit. Improving 6-week postpartum return rates can positively impact health prevention , wellness , and contraception use for the postpartum woman , potentially leading to prevention of unintended pregnancies.

Additional Information

Publication

Other

Smith , Ann. (July 2018). Home Visiting and Six Week Postpartum Visit (DNP Scholarly Project , East Carolina University). Retrieved from ScholarShip.

Language: English

Date: 2018

Keywords

postpartum care; 6-week postpartum visit; home visiting; nurse home visiting programs; patient education; health belief model; process improvement

Subjects

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